The Global Challenge
Archbishop Dr Eliud Wabukala, Primate of Kenya and Chairman of the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans –
“The challenge we face is that the nations which were once the spiritual powerhouses of world wide mission have now become deeply secularised and even hostile to the Christian faith and the Churches of those lands have more often than not been strongly influenced by the societies in which they are set.
I am aware that for some of you, the threat of violence from Islamic extremism may be uppermost your minds, and we have had a painful reminder of that reality recently here in Kenya, but that which really rots the fabric of the Communion is the much more insidious process by which weak churches are gradually taken captive by the surrounding culture.”
– from The Chairman’s Address at GAFCON on Tuesday 22nd October. Read it all.
The official photo of Bishops and Archbishops attending gives some indication of the shift in global Christianity. See who you can spot in the full size version. (Photo: GAFCON.)
The Archbishop’s earlier greetings can be seen here from Anglican TV.
NSW Council of Churches supports High Court challenge
Here’s a Media Release from the NSW Council of Churches, 22 October 2013 –
Prime Minister Tony Abbott is to be commended for his Government’s support of uniform national marriage laws and the decision to vigorously challenge the ACT Government’s new same sex marriage laws in the High Court. Read more
GAFCON not ‘a breakaway movement’
“Leaders of the Global Anglican Future Conference … refuted characterizations in the western press of the gathering as a breakaway movement, with recently retired Archbishop Peter Jensen of Sydney responding that ‘nothing could be further from the truth.’…”
– Report from GAFCON.
Edited highlights from the press conference may be seen here on Vimeo.
Nairobi conference confirms major realignment in Anglican Communion
“Although initially expecting 1100, the final total is 1,352 Archbishops, Bishops, clergy and lay people, men and women, from almost 40 countries. The number of bishops attending is 331, of whom 30 are Archbishops.. …” – from GAFCON.
Archbishop Welby addresses GAFCON
Kevin Kallsen of Anglican TV has posted video of Archbishop Welby’s sermon at All Saints’ Cathedral in Nairobi yesterday.
‘Welby backs GAFCON vision for a renewed Church’
“The Archbishop of Canterbury offered his qualified personal endorsement to Gafcon today, telling the congregation of All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi his vision for the future of the Anglican Communion was of a Bible-based church dedicated to mission and evangelism – goals shared by the Gafcon movement of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA).
… he conceded the existing instruments of communion were no longer fit for purpose in ordering the life of the Anglican world. …”
– From George Conger at Anglican Ink.
Nairobi Cathedral welcomes Primates for GAFCON 2013
Thousands packed multiple services at Nairobi’s All Saints Cathedral on the eve of the Global Anglican Future Conference (Sunday 20th October).
Leading the joyous congregants was the Primate of Kenya and chairman of GAFCON, Eliud Wabukala, along with members of the GAFCON Primates Council and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Archbishop Justin Welby joined Archbishop Robert Duncan, Primate of the Anglican Church in North America, Presiding Bishop Tito Zavala of the Southern Cone, Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul of Sudan, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh of Nigeria and Archbishop Henri Isingoma of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Archbishops Duncan and Bishop Zavala joined in celebrating communion while Archbishop Welby preached, in a truly international event.
The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke of a ‘new Anglican Communion’ saying new structures were needed for the 21st Century.
Later the Primates and Archbishop Welby attended a luncheon reception.
“It is a great privilege to have shared this lunch with you and to be here as you set off on this extraordinary week which I hope and pray will move the whole Anglican Communion forward.”
The General Secretary of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans Dr Peter Jensen said “I believe that the new Anglican Communion could be seen at the first GAFCON in 2008.”
“This great gathering in Nairobi is a model for our partnership with each other within the Anglican Communion, based on the truth of the Bible.” Dr Jensen said.
Source: GAFCON. Photo: Russell Powell.
Welcome to Nairobi
Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, Archbishop of Kenya and Chairman of GAFCON, welcomes GAFCON attendees – and also the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is present for the earlier two-day GAFCON Primates’ meeting.
“I am very happy to welcome you to All Saints Cathedral this morning and I especially want to recognise His Grace, the Archbishop of Canterbury who will be our preacher this morning. This is the second visit to Kenya he has made this year so we are very privileged! It is a great joy that we are together in this service as we enjoy fellowship in Christ with our brother Primates.
But the word on everybody’s lips today is GAFCON. … We are welcoming over 1,300 delegates from around the world, some of whom are already with us to share in our worship this morning. We are so happy you are here and we welcome you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. …”
– Read it all at the GAFCON website. Photo: Russell Powell.
GAFCON 2013 and Authority in the Church
GAFCON 2013 begins in Nairobi tomorrow, so now would be a good time to uphold in prayer this significant gathering.
This 2008 theological resource paper by Dr Mark Thompson is a good reminder as to why GAFCON is committed to the authority of the Bible.
We’ll be posting news from GAFCON as it comes through.
‘Swedish Archbishop prefers Allah’
“…the Church of Sweden’s new archbishop is Antje Jackelén. … Like kings, all bishops have their own motto and Jackelén chose ”God is greater” … ”Allahu akbar”. …
Many have been taken aback by the theological opinions Jackelén revealed during a questioning in Uppsala on October 1. The candidates for the highest position in the Swedish church were asked if they thought Jesus presented a truer picture of God than Muhammed. …”
– News from a little earlier in the week, from Dispatch International.
Related: Belief in the Virgin Birth an optional extra, new Swedish archbishop declares (Anglican Ink)
Photo: Jan Nordén/Church of Sweden.
Tasmanian euthanasia bill defeated
“The legislation would have allowed terminally ill Tasmanians to end their lives 10 days after making three requests to their doctor.”
– Report from the ABC.
Uniting parishioners ‘devastated as churches sold off’
“Angry parishioners at the Glenroy Uniting Church in Melbourne’s northern suburbs have told 7.30 that there had been little consultation by the church hierarchy, which invoked a ‘special circumstances’ clause to sell the properties without the permission of the local church councils representing each congregation.” – 7:30 Report. Image: ABC TV.
Australian Baptist leaders support federal challenge to ACT marriage reform
“Baptist leaders have commended Prime Minister Tony Abbott for his Government’s support of the current legal definition of marriage, and for a proposal to challenge the ACT Government’s same sex marriage bill in the High Court as soon as it becomes law. Read more
The Religion of the Self
At Jesmond Parish Church in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, the Rev. David Holloway explains why the church-sponsored brownie and guide units are refusing to make the new Girl Guide promise.
“There was a problem at the beginning of last month. On 1 September 2013 the Girl Guide promise, “the beating heart of guiding” according to the Chief Guide, was to change. The promise that was being discarded was as follows:
I promise that I will do my best
To love my God
To serve the Queen and my country
To help other people
And to keep the Brownie/Guide Law
Instead it was mandated from Girlguiding’s central authority that from the 1 September every girl and leader must say these words:
I promise that I will do my best
To be true to myself and develop my beliefs
To serve the Queen and my community
To help other people
And to keep the Brownie/Guide Law …”
Read it all at the JPC website.
Beware of imposters
Just in case you get any appeals for money –
“It has been ascertained that there are accounts on Facebook purportedly using the name of the Primate of the Anglican Church in Nigeria Most Rev. Nicholas D. Okoh asking for funds for various projects. This is no doubt the handiwork of fraudsters to extort money. To link the name of the Primate with these clandestine activities on the Internet is deceitful. Primate Okoh will not ask for this, never.
We therefore warn people of questionable character to desist from these illegal acts or face the wrath of God.”
– from the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…